Egg-Tastic: Can I Give Eggs to My Baby?

Can I Feed My Baby Eggs?

A good parent is full of questions, like if feeding your baby eggs is safe or not? It is okay that you are wondering because you are certainly not the only parent who has asked, “Can I feed my baby eggs?”

Well, the short answer is eggs are fine as long as you introduce them to your baby with other solid food your baby is already eating. This should be around the time your baby reaches four to six months of age.

Still, there are a few things to consider before you start feeding your baby eggs.

Be Vigilant!

As a concerned parent, you asked, “is it safe to feed your baby eggs?” You have your answer, but that does not mean you should let your guard down, especially when you’re feeding eggs to a baby for the first time.

One thing you have to keep in mind is that eggs are just one of many things some individuals are allergic to. Common allergens include the following:

Eggs

All types of dairy

Soy and soy byproducts

Various types of nuts

All sorts of fish

As you see, eggs are at the top of that list, and this reality might have prompted you to ask, “can I feed my baby eggs?” Those who are concerned about feeding their baby eggs may want to talk to a pediatrician just to be sure.

You might also want to consider feeding the egg yolks to your baby first because the compounds connected to food allergies are in the egg whites, not the egg yolks.

Now, you are probably wondering, “Can I feed my baby eggs without worrying about allergies?” Sure, after giving a baby eggs to eat the first few times, parents know whether their baby is allergic to them.

What Are Egg Allergy Symptoms?

You know the answer to the question, “is it safe to feed your baby eggs?” is usually yes. This might sound great, but feeding eggs to a baby with egg allergies can be dangerous.

You need to be aware of allergy reactions before giving a baby eggs to eat for the first time, especially if you are giving him or her the white part of the egg as well. Know what to look for:

Hives, swelling, eczema, or flushing

Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or signs of pain

Itching, especially around the mouth

Baby may experience wheezing, runny nose, or trouble breathing

Your baby’s heartbeat might increase

In essence, your baby’s body is reacting to the protein in the eggs as if they are a danger to him or her. There could be a number of reasons this could be happening. Perhaps your baby’s digestive system hasn’t developed enough to process these proteins.

Nonetheless, you need to take your baby to your pediatrician to try to pinpoint the issue and keep your baby safe. Keep in mind that an allergy like this one might only be temporary until your baby develops a better digestive system. Usually, most kids outgrow allergies at some point.

Conclusion: Moving Egg-Forward

It makes sense that you want to start feeding eggs to a baby as soon as you can. Eggs are not only inexpensive; they are almost a super-food with all the protein they contain. Eggs also contain choline, which is essential for proper cell activity, and your baby definitely needs that.

When you start giving a baby eggs to eat, it would be a good idea to try the four-day trial. Just feed your baby a small amount of egg, and don’t introduce a new food for four days. This will help you see how your baby reacts to the egg.

There are many ways to start feeding eggs to a baby; for example, you can remove the yolk from a hard-boiled egg, and mash it with your breast milk to start. You can also separate the yolk when the egg is raw, and scramble it using a little breast milk.

Hopefully, some of these suggestions make it easier to introduce your baby to these protein-packed delicacies.